Wrench.



No. 839,614. PATBNTED DEG. 25, 1906. s. H. MILLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 1B. 1905.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nulwny,...

L7-Z .9 .i l /W/ 82 .-1514 f "y PATENTED DEG. 25, 1906.

S. H. MILLER.

WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED 00T.18.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NuRRls persas co, wAsulNm'oN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application liled October 18, 1905. Seria1No,283,283.

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Territory, have invented a new and useful l/Vrench, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates Jto improvements in wrenches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of sliding-j aw wrenches and to increase their strength, durability, and elliciency and to provide a simple and inexpensive one capable of being operated with great ease and quickness both to lock and release the sliding aw.

With these and other objects in view thc invention consists in the construction and. novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the forni, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a sliding jaw wrench constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the resilient locking devices being out of engagement with the shank. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portionof the shank. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the rotary handle, illustrating the arrangement of the cams for actuating the locking devices. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the sliding jaw and its sleeve. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing another form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, the resilient locking devices being out of engagement with the shank. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the sliding jaw, illustrating the construction of the sleeve. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the yieldably-supported dogs which constitute locking devices.

l designates a rigid jaw which is formed integral with a shank 2, and the latter receives a sliding jaw 3, which coperates with the rigid jaw and which is provided with a slidable sleeve 4, arranged on the shank and movable longitudinally thereof. The sleeve of the sliding ljaw is substantially rectangular in cross-section, and it is provided at two of its opposite sides with resilient locking-devices 5, consisting of wallsections and formed by splitting the sleeve at the corners longitudinally, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The resilient wall-sections 5 when not pressed inward by cams 6 of a r0- tary handle 7 are arranged at a slight angle to the rest of the side walls from which the resilient locking devices are formed in order that the resilient locking devices will automatically spring out of engagement with the shank 2 when free to move.

The shank 2 is provided at its opposite edges with teeth S, which are preferably beveled at one face and shouldered at the opposite face. The resilient locking devices are provided with reversely-arranged teeth 9, which are adapted to iit in the recesses between the teeth of the shank. The shoulders of the teeth are arranged to form a positive lock for the sliding jaw to prevent the same when locked from slipping on the shank away from the rigid jaw, and the teeth at one side of the shank are arranged opposite the intervals or recesses between the teeth o f the opposite side, so that when the handle is rotated to lock the sliding jaw the locking device at one side or the other will form a complete and absolute lock at any point alon the shank. The teeth also preferably extend straight across the opposite edges or faces of the shank in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the same; but they may be arranged in any other suitable manner, and teeth or corrugations of any desired size may be employed.

The shank 2 is provided at the end opposite that at which the rigid or stationary jaw is located with a reduced rounded portion l0, which is threaded at the extremity to receive a nut 11 and which is also provided with a smooth inner portion to form a pivot or journal for the handle-7. The handle 7, which is hollow, is substantially cylindrical and is open at one end and is provided at the other end with a small central opening 12. to receive the reduced pivot portion of the shank. The handle, which is adapted to be turned on the shank, receives a portion of the sliding sleeve and is provided on its interior with the cams 6, which are arranged at diametrically opposite points and which are adapted to simultaneously compress and re` IOO IOS

IIO

lease the resilient locking devices carried by the sliding sleeve. The cams, which eXtend the entire length of the handle 7, are preferably formed by tapering thickened portions of the walls of the handle, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. When the handle is rotated in one direction, the cams are carried by the resilient locking devices, which are thereby forced into engagement with the shank 2, and when the handle is rotated in the opposite direction the resilient locking devices are released and automatically spring out of engagement with the shank and permit the sleeve to slide freely thereon.

-In order to facilitate the operation of the wrench and to enable the same to be quickly adjusted, a pair of coiled springs 12a may be employed.` These springs 12a, which are in-. terposed between the outer end of the sliding sleeve and the outer end of the handle, are housed within the latter and are secured at one end to the resilient locking devices 5,

whichl are provided with projecting ears 13,

extending from the end of the sleeve, as clearly illustrated in Fig.. 5 of the drawings. The adjacent terminals of the wire of which the springs are constructed are passed through the perforations of the ears 13, and the springs are thereby connected to the outer ends of the resilient portions of the sleeve and are-retained in position for sliding the sleeve upward, By this construction the inward and outward movement of the resilient portion is prevented from interfering with the action of the coiled springs.

In Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, is illustrated another form of the invention in which a sliding sleeve 14, resilient locking devices 15, and a rotary handle 16 are employed. The sliding sleeve 14 is formed integral with a slidin jaw 17, which is arranged on a shank 18, an the latter is provided at one end with an integral stationary jaw 19 and has its other end 20 reduced to form a pivot for the rotary handle 16. The shank 18 is provided at oppositel sides with teeth 21, shouldered at the upper or inner side toward the stationary jaw and beveled at the opposite side but any other form of teeth or corrugations may be provided to form opposite engaging faces. The sliding sleeve carries a pair of resilient locking devices consisting of dogs operating through openings 22 of the slidable sleeve 14. The openings 22 are rectangular, and the dogs consist of substantially oblong blocks provided at their inner engaging faces with teeth 23, arranged the reverse of those of the shank and adapted toiit in the recesses or notches between the teeth 21 to form a lock for holding the sliding jaw against movement on the shank 18. The resilient locking devices are provided with springs 24, which are bowed longitudinally and which have their ends fitted in grooves or recesses 25 of the sliding sleeve. The bowed springs,

which are centrally secured to the outer edges of the dogs by screws 26 or other suitable means, are adapted to withdraw the dog from engagement with the shank 18 when the handle is rotated to carry its cams 27 out of engagement with the resilient locking devices. The cams 27 of the rotary handle are arranged similarly to those heretofore described, and the said handle is provided at its outer end with an opening to receive the reduced rounded portion 2O of the shank. The operation of the wrench is facilitated by means of a pair of coiled springs 28, arranged within the handle and interposed between the outer end thereof and the adjacent end of the same. The sleeve is provided with projecting ears 29, which have perforations for the reception of the adjacent terminals of the wire of which the springs are constructed. When the sleeve is free to slide on the shank 18, thesprings will automatically move the sliding jaw 17 toward the stationaryjaw 19 and into engagement with an object, and the wrench may be operated with greater ease and quickness than when it is necessary to slide the sleeve by hand to carry the jaw 17 into engagement with an object.

In each form of the invention the handle 5, which operates the locking mechanism of the movable j aw, rotates around the inner portion of the shank and is not carried away from the same or out of alinement with the shank in the operation of adjusting the movable jaw.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In awrench, the combination of a shank having a fixed jaw at the outer end, a movable jaw mounted on the shank, locking mechanism for securing the movable jaw in its adjustment, and a rotary handle arranged on the inner end of the shank and receiving the locking mechanism and provided with means for directly engaging the same, said rotary handle being movable independently of the locking mechanism.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a shank having a fixed jaw at one end, a rotary handle arranged at the other end of the shank, a movable jaw mounted on the shank, locking mechanism for the movable jaw, said locking mechanism being operable by the rotary movement of the handle around the shank, and a spring housed within the hollow handle to slide the movable jaw along the shank.

y 3. In a wrench, the combination of a shank having a fixed jaw at one end, a rotary handle arranged at the other end of the shank, a movable jaw mounted on'the shank, locking mechanism for the movable jaw, said locking mechanism being operable by the rotary movement of the handle, and a pair of coiled springs located at opposite sides of the shank and housed within the rotary handle for sliding the movable jaw along the shank.

IOC

IIO

4. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank having a `fixed jaw at one end, a hollow rotary handle arranged at the other end of the shank, a movable jaw, and locking mechanism for securing the movable jaw in its adjustment, said locking mechanism being loczltted Within and operated by the rotary hand e.

5. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank provided with a stationary jaw, a sliding sleeve arranged on the shank and having a movable jaw, a rotary handle receiving the sliding sleeve, means carried by the sliding sleeve and actuated by the rotary handle for locking the sleeve in its adjustment, and a coiled spring interposed between the handle and the sliding sleeve for moving the latter along the shank When the same is released by the handle.

6. In a wrench, the combination of a shank having a stationary jaw, a sliding sleeve provided With a movable jaw, a rotaryhandle receiving the sliding sleeve, a resilient locking device carried by the sliding sleeve and actuated by the handle for engaging the shank, ears projecting from the sleeve, and coiled springs housed Within the handle and connected with the ears for sliding the sleeve.

7. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank, a sliding sleeve provided with an integral resilient portion forming a section of one of the Walls of the sleeve and constituting a locking device 'for engaging the shank, and a rotary member receiving the sleeve and provided With means for actuating the said locking device.

S. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank,

a sliding sleeve provided With an integral resilient portion forming a section of one of the Walls of the sleeve and constituting a locking device for engaging the shank, and a rotary member receiving the sleeve and having an interiorlyarranged cam for actuating the locking device.

9. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank having opposite engaging faces, a sliding sleeve arranged on tie shank and provided With integral resilient portions forming sections of the opposite Walls of the sleeve and provided with inner engaging faces to interlock with those of the shank, and a rotary member receiving the sliding sleeve and provided With oppositely-disposed interi orly-arranged cams for actuating the locking devices of the sleeve.

l0. In a Wrench, the combination of a shank, a sliding sleeve arranged on the shank and provided with opposite resilient portions forming sections of the Walls of the sleeve and provided with means for engaging the shank and locking the sleeve in its adjustment, a rotary handle receiving the sleeve and provided with means for actuating the resilient portion of the same, and coiled springs housed Within the handle and connected to the resilient portions of the sleeve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aHXed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

SAMUEL H. MILLER.

Vitnesses:

NEWTON AvEY, H. C. UPHAM. 

